Two Strict Definitions

Hitlerjunge Quex presents very strict and specific gender roles. Whenever we see women portrayed within the film they are filling one of two roles: that of the caretaker or that of the temptress. Specifically the film delineates between these two roles on the basis of political orientation. Whenever we encounter a communist female she is either tempting Nazis and luring them to her party or generally being promiscuous with members of her party who she's already seduced. Nazi women on the other hand typically fulfill the role of the caretaker and are in some way looking out for the men of their community.

Women in Hitlerjunge Quex

In Hitlerjunge Quex, Communist and National Socialist women are presented differently. The portrayal of the Communist woman seems designed to arouse indignation at her flouting of gender norms, while the portrayal of the ideal Nazi woman seems intended to tell the viewer how a woman should act. The Communist woman, embodied in the character Gerda, fulfills the sterotype of the “loose” woman. She drinks, smokes, and revels with men. This was something that many Germans at the time would have found uncomfortable, or even downright repulsive. Additionally, the Communists use Gerda’s hyper-sexuality to trick a Hitler Youth and get him to betray Heini. In this way the film goes beyond using Gerda’s sexuality to show the viewer who the antagonist is. It portrays the Communist woman, or more broadly a sexually liberated woman, as dangerous to German youth. Ulla, on the other hand, represents the National Socialist ideal woman. She dresses more conservatively than Gerda, cooks for her brother, and cares for the wounded Hitler Youth. In short, she fulfills the gender role of a quiet and obedient auxiliary to the action of her male counterparts. She is not completely desexualized, as is shown when she and Heini kiss, but their interaction falls well within the norms for acceptable activity. Most scholars agree that indeed the main purpose of the Hitler Youth’s equivalent, the League of German Girls, was to instruct young women that their place in society was to be like Ulla: support the men, get married, and raise children.

Gender in Hitlerjunge Quex

In Hitlerjunge Quex, gender becomes another vehicle for the subtle propaganda against the Communists. Overall, the Communists are depicted as chaotic and degenerate, in contrast to the National Socialists, who are depicted as self-restrained and orderly. This contrast is especially noticeable in the ways that femininity is demonstrated by the two parties. For the Communists, Gerda represents everything that would have been perceived as wrong. Gerda flirts with all the boys and she uses her sexuality to lure Heini and the other Hitler Youth, Gunther. She also drinks, smokes cigarettes, and wears pants. The National Socialist feminine ideal is shown by Ulla. Ulla is loyal to her brother Fritz, and to the Hitler Youth. She’s also quiet, sympathetic, a good cook, and wears moderate clothing (and never pants). What is interesting about the movie is the role that Heini’s mother plays. She fits neither Ulla’s nor Gerda’s image, she represents something else. She and her husband represent the German people, the older generation of men and women who suffered the humiliation of the German people at the conclusion of the First World War. She is confused and doesn’t know whether to support the Communists or the National Socialists.

Yin and Yang? Not so much....

"That is my sister singing in the kitchen, she makes the best pancakes" and so enters the Nazi female into Hitlerjunge Quex. This is the line of direct comparison uttered minutes earlier of the "peach of the Brussels District" that is the commie female.

The concept of male and female is portrayed in two ways in the film, the communist and the Nazi way of thinking about gender issues. While side characters are introduced as girls of one political ideology or another, there are only two who we are really focused upon. From the beginning, the two girls are show as different, one fashionable, the other sensible. The communist female is one who gets by be One in uniform, entering from the kitchen while the other is carousing about in makeup and dresses .

The communist men and women are portrayed as having 'loose' morals, drinking and smoking, portraying chaos in the midst of a dark time for Germany. They do not seem to take the issue of poverty seriously in that they seem to be more concerned with their existence as the top of the food chain rather than the formulation of a useful conglomerate.

The Nazi peoples however, seem to represent order as much as the communists do chaos. Men and women do not mix (like with those reds) instead, each knows their place in the organization and as parts of the whole. They do interact, but only when appropriate. Ulla, our example of a Nazi maiden, is never with any boys without her brother being their (as though to chaperon) save for one time, when she helps the main character print the fliers to save the day. She is otherwise always following the orders of another, whether it is to hang up the phone, or watch over her brother, as any good young girl would do. She does not smoke or drink, but cooks and (presumably) cleans, maintaining order in both the Nazi youth center and her own home, despite having what one can presume to be a maid (the woman who answers the house's door.)

Our young Communist girl is not at all like dear, respectable Ulla. Despite not knowing Hienle, she kisses him and she hits the boys as though she is one of them. When she likes Hienle, she still pretends to like a Hitler Youth so that she can get her way and apparently 'rewards' him, though in what manner we are not quite told.

The men of each ideology seem to follow the lead of these women. The Hitler Youth (save the betrayer) are upstanding young men who seek only to respect each other and the flag. They work together and desire nothing more than to be a model to be proud of.

The communist young men do not seem to hold this same idea. Instead they are there for a good time, and want to just drink and play all day. If a person does not know their games, they do not teach them or take them out of their way, instead they merely shove the unknowing one away so that they may continue without interruption (like with Hienle and the card game.)

While the Hitler youth balance themselves out with order and defined gender roles, the communists are portrayed like the merry-go-round in the fair, spinning out of control and taking all understanding out of sight.

Sexuality in the Reich

The film builds on conventional gender roles from the period in order to promote the Nazi cause and hinder sympathies toward the communists. In the film, the communists are always depicted with loose women that enjoy spanking boys and having men's arms around them. On the other hand, Nazi girls are presented as examples of virginity and helpfulness. The Nazi leader's sister is beautiful and aids Heini in printing more fliers for the party. She is an asset to the cause while the communist women are used by their party as temptresses for luring enemies into the party, such as the case with her and the Hitler Youth by the bridge destroying fliers. Additionally, fashion also played a role in the film through the contrast of conservatism versus immorality. The Nazi girls all wear dresses or full bathing suits at the lake retreat. This is greatly contrasted with the communist girls who all wear pants. The wearing of pants is combined with sexual liberalism that is looked down upon by the film. Hitler Youth Quex displays an immoral female willing to do the evil communist party's bidding while Nazi females are idolized a perfect specimens of virginity and resourcefulness.

Loyalty

In Hitlerjunge Quex, gender is represented in terms of the good (the National Socialist) men and women and the bad (Communist) men and women. The National Socialist men and women in the film are the ideal representations of the genders. Heini is the epitome of a good boy, as he is a hard worker, respectful and extremely loyal, all qualities that the National Socialists value. Loyalty is his strongest quality, as he saves his mother from his father’s anger and even saves the Nazi Youth from being killed by the dynamite. At the beginning of the film, in fact, one of the characters even tells Heini’s father how much he admires his young son. On the flipside, Heini’s roommate is an example of a bad boy. He is susceptible to Gerda’s temptations, rudely gawks at Ulla’s picture and is not loyal to the party. The dichotomy between the two boys shows the difference between the weak communist youth and the strong Nazi youth.

On the other side, the women in the film are also represented as polar opposites. Gerda is a vamp who uses her sexuality to persuade boys to join the communist party. She represents the unethical women with loose morals that do not fit within the clean-cut, highly structured Nazi world. On the other side, Heini’s mother and Ulla represent the good kind of women. Heini’s mother does everything she can to provide for her son and even goes as far as to commit suicide to save her son. She shares Heini’s loyalty, which is something very important to the Nazi party. Ulla is a nice, wholesome girl who is loyal to the party, to her brother and to Heini.

In the film, loyalty seems to be the most important quality in a good man or a good woman. This is also the message of the film. Although Heini and his mother die because of their loyalties, their deaths are glorified. Heini’s mother is viewed as a martyr, as she sacrifices her life to save her son’s. Heini is killed by the communists but his dying words are about the glory of the flag and the party. They are both satisfied with their sacrifice, as they are loyal to the party and to their loved ones above themselves.

The Purpose of Gender Roles for Propaganda

In (successful) propaganda films, everything has a purpose. From the characters' behaviors and actions to the director's cinematographic style, each aspect is chosen in order to send the right message; the same holds true for the gender roles in "Hitlerjunge Quex." The roles of the males and females were orchestrated to help the viewer "realize" that following the Nazi Party provided a better future than following the Communist Party.

The males in "Hitlerjunge Quex" contrasted the supposed unhealthy and unproductive habits of the Communist Party with the order and value of the Nazi Party. Adult males in the CP were often portrayed as dirty, lazy, and malicious in their acts against the Nazis. Heini's father, an unemployed, overweight man, threatens to beat his wife if she does not give him money to buy a beer; this is compared to Fritz and Ulla's father, a Nazi member, who is busy all day with meetings as a doctor. At the campsite, various other older Communist men try to tempt pure Heini with numerous vices, such as gambling and drinking. Even the members of the Communist youth group are shown as rascals with no respect for authority and no desire to better themselves. The members of the Nazi party, both young and old, show a respectable amount of order and respect for one another (except for the Hitler Youth that betrays the party to get the attention of the Communist girl, but even she wouldn't touch him after his lowly acts).

The females in "Hitlerjunge Quex" are also molded to contrast the morality of Nazi party with the destructive vices of the Communist Party. Aside from Heini's mother, who meets a tragic end in her own conflicted state, there are only a couple of female roles in the movie. The Communist girl uses her vanity and suggested sexuality to manipulate weak men (non-Nazi members and the easily corrupted Hitler Youth) for the Communist Party. Ulla, the daughter of a wealthy Nazi doctor and sister of active Hitler Youth Fritz, is at the beckon of the Nazi party weather it is cooking, bandaging the wounded, or helping Heini print more propaganda fliers.

Das überlegen Sie sich mal

Hitlerjunge Quex does a good job distinguishing between the good and bad as far as gender roles go- Communist women are a loose and manipulative bunch, and the men are negligent agitators. In general, the  Communists [who are decidedly the negative example in Quex] are a lascivious bunch- in contrast to the disciplined and honorable Nazi party. Ulla is the perfect girl- she is studious, disciplined and makes delicious pancakes. Fritz and Heini are both concerned with the welfare of the party above their own welfare, and Heini makes the ultimate sacrifice; martyred by by the Communists.


A rhetorical device that is well used in Quex is repetition- because the movie is a piece of propaganda, and because people are not usually fully attentive- repetition is a necessary part of the film- By the end of the film, if you don't know the words to Hitler Youth banner song, you certainly will know and recognize the tune. You will more than likely find yourself humming it on the way home. 
Another instance of this repetition is when the hitler youth leader Cass says to papa Völker "In Germany that's right, our Germany," waggling his finger between the two of them. Völker turns around and repeats this same phrase to Stoppel.


 Think about that, why don't you?

Differences in Gender seen in Hitler Youth Quex

Throughout the movie gender roles, definitions of femininity and masculinity, and illustrations of the family, are concretely defined by comparing the Nazis and the Communists. Inside the Communist regime, which the movie used to display negative characteristics of family and gender, it was evident that women were seen as loose and promiscuous, as sen through the character Gerda. Gerda wore flowy clothing that showed off her body and she had no problem flirting with the boys. This description illustrated that the Nazi regime did not condone this promiscuous behavior, and it furthered their emphasis on moral cleanliness. I also thought it was interesting that Gerda played the character who enticed one of the Nazi boys to go against the group and throw away all the Nazi flyers. This was another way of demonstrating an ideal of the Nazi regime, which was to obey authority and to stick with the masses.

Ulla was a great contrast to Gerda, as she wore the Nazi clothing which made her resemble a male figure and illustrated the emphasis on a conservative look and attitude for the regime. She also followed her brother's authority, demonstrating that respect for one's self and for the authority of the group was a large component to the Nazis.

Masculinity was defined in the Nazi regime through strength, self respect and discipline sharp clothing, and a loyal connection to the other members of the regime. They also illustrated a family - when Heini was in the hospital Fritz, Ulla, and other members of the youth came to visit Heini, showing him that they wanted him to be part of the group and valued his loyalty. The communist regime illustrated the negative side of masculinity. Many of the men were heavy drinkers and seemed to be struggling to provide for their family. They looked as if they were losing hope in each other, even though they wanted to support their party. The men were not sharply dressed and their "immoral" acts (drinking, smoking, partaking in promiscuous acts) all led to chaos, which was not supported nor displayed by the Nazi regime.

The family aspect was another interesting piece of the puzzle in the comparison between the two parties. Although the Nazi regime did not depict a typical family (except when you see Ulla and Fritz's mother for a few moments) the emphasis of the family was centered around the regime. Family was created through the members of the party this is what helped strengthen their power. The Communists demonstrated a family with a lack of respect for the other members - the men showed authority but only through degrading power to the wives and children, and the women were illustrated and weak. Heini's mother's death was an interesting part of the story - she understood Heini's unhappiness but could not do anything to help him and the only way she thought she could save him and herself was by committing suicide. Josh made an interesting comment in class that Heini's mother resembled the dying Germany at the time that Hitler was trying to save - I think this is a great comparison to illustrate the crossroads that Germany faced as Hitler came to power.

The Role of Women in Hitler Youth Quex

There were many obvious and also subtle cues that distinguished the role of women between the Communists and the Nazi Party in Hitler Youth Quex. The more obvious artistic portrayals of communist women dealt with the blond girl who frequently tried seducing Heini. Although she was an attractive woman, she was manipulative through working for Stoppel, she drank, she smoked, she spanked boys, and was overall very unruly. The message to a viewer says that a Communist woman, although they can be beautiful and seductive, have innate unattractive and unruly qualities. In contrast, Ulla, an associate of the Nazi Youth, is more than welcoming when Heini comes over and prepares food, while wearing a button down shirt with a tie. This contrasts the blond girl who wore dresses and kicked the bottom of her dress up while riding the Carousel. Although Heini begged Ulla to stop the group from meeting on the day the Communists planned their attack, she obeyed her brother’s order of not listening. This dynamic between the wild, blond Communist and the welcoming, orderly Nazi displays serious political agendas by the filmmakers.

Heini’s mother is a very interesting character in the film and she says more with her actions and emotions than in actual words. Depressed, downtrodden, and abused, she was an attempt at representing the subordinate poor woman of the time in Germany. She loved Heini, yet tried killing him by turning on the gas. In a way, she loved him so much that she wanted him to go in a more peaceful way instead of being captured by Stoppel. However, the way the scene is portrayed is that a mother is so out of luck and sees no hope for the future, and is coincidentally married to a Communist and pleading to her son to join as well. There is an interesting dynamic between Heini’s mother situation of hopelessness and the message the Nazi party embodies in the film of a new tomorrow.

Gender Roles

Hans Steinhoff is able to effectively propagate National Socialist ideals through his representation of gender in Hitlerjunge Quex. The way gender is portrayed throughout the film clearly communicates the stereotypes that the Nazis seek to perpetuate in an attempt to disparage the Communist party and their followers. For example, the Communist character of Gerda is depicted as a woman of loose morals. Her lewd, vulgar behavior gains her no respect from her peers. As a result, she becomes a symbol of distraction and indiscipline. On the contrary, Ulla is portrayed as the ideal woman of the Hitler Youth. She dresses conservatively, follows orders, respects herself and her fellow peers, and is dedicated to the objectives of the National Socialists. Such juxtaposition of femininity is a clear expression of Nazi propaganda and is further communicated in the film’s representation of masculinity.

Masculinity in Hitlerjunge Quex follows the same pattern of ideals that can be seen through the film’s depiction of femininity. Heini’s father, a Communist, is unemployed, overweight, and a clear expression of economic privation. He along with his Communist colleagues lack direction in their lives and are repeatedly seen smoking, drinking, and causing unrest in the streets. In contrast, the Nazi men in the film are mostly healthy young men who are dedicated to the ‘betterment’ of Germany. The Nazi men become symbols of discipline and order, further accentuating the contrast between the National Socialists and Communists.

Gender in Hitlerjunge Quex is exploited by the Nazis to illustrate critical moral and social flaws evident within communist culture, but moreover that such flaws are pervading the whole of German society. The film does this on two levels, juxtaposing gender roles within the youth, and among adults.

Clearly, the communist youth’s involvement with inappropriate vices is placed against their well-behaved Nazi counterparts. Communist girls are illustrated as sexually liberated, and willing to use that sexuality to manipulate young German men. Their clothes are much more form fitting, hardly proper for young ladies. These girls have lost all semblance of innocence, and willingly participate in sinful, typically male, activities like drinking, smoking, and gambling. Not to mention they openly socialize with older men. “Traditional German” gender roles are nonexistent for them, and their loose morals threaten to destroy the volk via the downfall of the family. The communist boys are unruly, they appear slovenly, and show no promise of leadership; they could hardly become productive German men. Along with their penchant for drinking, they have crass humor. They do not work, they simply goof around, and show no remorse at berating the Nazi boys, who are just trying to do their “jobs.” They

In contrast the Nazi children are pleasant and well groomed. The girls and boys are divided into their own groups. The girls appear to be innocent and proper, wearing skirts, and long hair. They do not question the leadership of their male counterparts, but simply do what they are told. The Nazi boys are physically fit, and are well dressed in their uniforms. They work hard distributing and copying fliers, clearly preparing themselves to be legitimate grown-up members of society. As well, they lead themselves. Being that young men are directing their age appropriate counterparts, unlike the communist youth who are lead by a shady older man. These young boys are a parents dream. They are stereotypical “boyscouts” demonstrated by the fact that a nice old lady will let them operate out of her basement. They have a respect for authority, they demonstrate restraint, and do not concern themselves with petty and unnecessary violence. Clearly they are becoming what good men are supposed to be in the Nazi image, ready to contribute to German society through family and occupation.

There is also a contrast between the communist adult males and Nazi adult males. Heini’s father is obese and does nothing more than cause trouble and drink, all of his friends seem either emaciated or unkempt. They only concern themselves with social agitation, beer, and violence. Most importantly they are all unemployed. The Nazi males are all hardworking leaders, exemplified by the Hitler Youth group advisor (for lack of a better term). He understands the necessity for order and importance of instruction and direction for the youth. Not to mention he has a real job. When Heini goes to the home of his friend Ulla and her brother the woman who answers the door asks if he is looking for the Dr. (evidently the son and father have the same name). The father of the leading Nazi youth children is gainfully employed and educated contrasting Heini’s father.

This boils down to the fact that Nazi men are the polar opposite to Communist men, as are Nazi women. In Nazi culture gender roles, particularly that of breadwinner, are important, and what better way to dissuade the viewer from the communist lifestlye than to show them that in the Nazi way of life food will always be on the table.

Nazi family propaganda in "Hitlerjunge Quex"

In “Hitlerjunge Quex” two extremely contrasting sides are depicted. One the one hand the bad Communists that behave undisciplined, promote chaos, do not work and drink and smoke all the time. On the other hand the good Nazis which consist of a new generation which stands for higher ideals and values.
Regarding the family policy of Hitler’s regime which supported the traditional gender roles of the man working and earning the money and the women staying at home to raise the children, it becomes clear how gender propaganda works in the movie.
Gerda, a young female Communist, represents the emancipated woman of that time: She wears trousers, make-up and lip-stick, smokes and drinks with the boys and plays with her sexual charms. The fact that she is with the bad Communists shows that her behavior is disregarded by the Hitler regime.
The opposite of Gerda is Ulla, a young female Nazi. She wears dresses, cooks for her brother and does what she is told by him. The fact that she is on the “good” side shows that her behavior is regarded as proper and valuable. She embodies the ideal woman in the Nazi imagination.
To sum up, the film promotes the family policy of the Nazis by assigning the emancipated woman to the bad side and the “classic” woman to the good side. The Nazis therewith try to stop the emancipation movement that resulted out of World War I when woman had to take a lot of jobs of men who died at war.

Gender in Hitler Youth Quex

Gender is represented in many different ways throughout the film Hitlerjunge Quex.  When representing the Communist way of life, particularly through the character of Gerda, the film seems to show women as more masculine, licentious, and immoral.  Gerda is always shown wearing pants, makeup, offering and accepting cigarettes, flirting, and is consistently used as a pawn by the Communists to lure young men into the Communist cause.  She is portrayed as a wanton, most noticeably in the scenes where she entices the young Nazi to go to the fair with her and when she is shown straddling an animal on the carousel.  The other Communist men do not seem to respect her, and she shows little self-respect in turn.  Furthermore, Gerda is always with one man or another, not settled down and producing children, which was the core value in the Nazi ideology concerning women.  The character of Gerda and her association with the Communist party illustrates a clear example of what the NSDAP exemplified as the “bad woman.”

On the other hand, the character of Ulla within the National Socialist party presents for audiences an image of the upheld values of a good German woman.  She is respected by her peers, including her male peers, so much so that it is she who Heini informs of the Communist attack.  She is always in an equal position to her brother, seems to be loyal to Heini, and is always in her feminine Hitler Youth uniform.  Unlike Gerda, she represents the wholesome qualities of a young girl that the Nazis sought to instill in their youth.

The film is also clear on “bad” and “good” expressions of masculinity.  The Communist men are shown as heavy drinkers, heavy smokers, excessively violent, and disrespectful.  They are the Nazi ideal of uncivilized men, although the filmmakers may not have anticipated the irony of the “violent” Communists as opposed to the docile Nazis at the time.  On the contrary, the National Socialist men always appear crisp and clean, obedient, healthy, upbeat, and confident.  The unswerving characterization of gender through the Communist and National Socialist parties in the film make the Nazi message concerning gender roles very clear.  

Gender Roles in Hitler Youth Quex

As a piece of propaganda, the film Hitlerjunge Quex speaks reams about the viewpoints of the National Socialist party.  This is not limited to official viewpoints about the Nazis versus the Communists, but also includes discussions of gender.  The film openly displays the alleged gender roles in both the Nazis and the Communists, and its clear to the viewer that one is “right” and one is “wrong.”

Femininity

For the feminine gender role, we have examples of a Nazi girl, a Communist girl, and German woman of the past.  The Nazi girl, Ulla, is obedient but also active and participating.  We see this in her respect for her brother, Fritz the Nazi Youth banner-leader, but also in her own participation and self-respect.  She is pretty, but does not flaunt or show her body in obvious ways (also signals of self respect). This example of femininity is juxtaposed with Gerde, the Communist girl.  She is openly lascivious, drinking and using her sexuality for her own gains.  She appears to have little self respect, and allows others to use her for their purposes.  Finally, Heini’s mother I believe is a symbol of an old Germany.  She is weak, and incapable of facing difficulties.  We never see her outside of the home, and she is incapable of protecting her family.  She is meant to be a sympathetic character, but also not one to idolize.

Masculinity

The masculine gender role is displayed by more players in the film.   The Communist male gender role is displayed by Stoppel and also, in part, by Heini’s roommate at the Nazi Youth boarding house.  Stoppel encourages stealing, tries to corrupt children to drink and smoke, and is generally just a bad guy.  Heini’s roommate, while in a Nazi Youth uniform, was shown from the get-go to not be a “true” Nazi boy in his attention to Ulla in the photograph and teasing of Heini.  These indications are proved to be true when he is swayed by Gerde to throw the Nazi pamphlets out.  Fritz and Heini are both examples of Nazi youth masculinity.  They have clear devotion and attention to family, while also giving themselves up for the “greater” good.  The troop leader is an ideal example of Nazi manhood.  He had served in the military for his country, and was still doing so by leading the youth. 

Hitlerjunge Quex clearly illustrates the appropriate and inappropriate gender roles for the German people, while also illustrating Nazis versus and Communists.  These juxtapositions show the “good” versus the “evil” in Germany at the time.

Gender

How is gender represented in Hitlerjunge Quex? Which concepts of femininity and masculinity are offered by the Communists? By the National Socialists?

There are very few women in Hitlerjunge Quex and each represents a different type of Woman, illustrating the good and bad concepts of femininity and what a woman's role should be. 

Heini's mother is the everyday woman, the woman over the common people and the working class. She is presented as weak, being completely controlled by her harsh husband. Her role seems to be to take care of the house and Heini and cater to her husbands needs, illustrating what the Nazi party envisioned the role of women to be. Although Heini's mother isn't the perfect feminine character, she is portrayed in a certain positive light. Unlike the father who wants Heini to join the communists, the mother seems to almost support Heini's desire to be part of the National Socialists. Another way the mother is shown in a positive light is when she gives Heini money to try to win the pocketknife, even when she clearly has very little money. This portrays the compassionate, motherly aspect of femininity and again defines the role of the German woman as a mother who is devoted to raising happy, healthy children. 

The other two women in the film contrast each other greatly, creating clear portrayals of good and bad femininity. The girl who is part of the communist group  is much less lady-like. While she is pretty and feminine in appearance she uses these attributes only for manipulation and evildoings. She also participates in what would generally be "masculine" activities, drinking, smoking, wearing pants, etc. This confusion of her femininity in a way portrays the communists as even more unorganized and lost and confused. It makes the communist ideals seem more wrong, that everything, including women, is out of place. 

The girl in the National Socialist group, Ulla is much more refined and knows her place. She is not overly effeminate but she doesn't wear pants and never participates in any rowdy activity boys might characteristically engage in. Ulla is the good definition of feminine. She is strong, but she is not masculine. She is pretty and girlish but she does not flaunt it. Lastly she supports Nazi Germany and is willing to fight for it.

Gender Roles in Hitlerjunge Quex

Hitlerjunge Quex clearly used the obvious ways in trying to force the minds of the German people to believe the message that they were trying to portray,: communists=bad, Nazi party=good. The women in the communist party were the undesirable women. Constantly drinking, going against the social norm of wearing pants, not obsessed with the state of the home and the family. The utter picture of communist women made you shake your head and judge them as if they were not good enough. When common sense would tell you that first, not all women are the same, and second, this was an extremely biased, tainted, and false view. Then you see the "beautiful" German women, wearing their flowing dresses, smiling, little to no makeup, and seemingly caring about their home lives. However, to dig deeper, these women were the supportive, quiet, women who were behind the party who murdered millions of people. I am assuming the filmmakers did not expect for the people of Germany to question or even think past the images they were viewing on the screen. The men were supposed to be healthy, fit, attractive and supporting their fuhrer as their wives were home, caring for the children and obeying the traditional German model of what was accepted. This to me, is quite sad, especially for those who fell for it.

How women "should" behave, as presented in Hitlerjunge Quex

In Nazi Germany, women were expected to carry themselves in a certain way, different from the way in which men carry themselves. Although the film Hitlerjunge Quex never speaks directly to the role of women under National Socialism, it uses extensive imagery to distinguish the “good” women of the Nazi Party from the “bad” women of the Communist Party. The women of the Nazi Party behave in such a way that distinguishes them from the men; acceptable activities for men may not be acceptable for women. The women of the Communist Party, however, are less distinguishable from the men in their party, in terms of behavioral choices.
The women that are connected with the Communist Party in the film are presented in a much crasser and less-traditionally effeminate way, relative the portrayal of the women in the Nazi Party. Unlike the pure and well-behaved women of the Nazi Party, they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol excessively, and very importantly wear pants. These women have completely abandoned traditional expectations of women. They are not lady-like in a stereotypical sense, except for their use of make-up, which was taboo under the Nazi regime. Things such as lipstick were signs of lost innocence and women who stooped to that level, women like those of the Communist Party, are portrayed almost as barbaric in the film.
In contrast to the portrayal of communist women in Hitlerjunge Quex, the women of the Nazi Party are portrayed very positively in the film. They wear dresses, which symbolizes their acceptance of the traditional female role (pants are for men). Furthermore, they do not wear make-up and lipstick, which, through the film’s context, signifies their innocence and purity. The women of the Nazi Party do not smoke cigarettes in the film, further establishing their role as innocent and pure.
In many ways, Hitlerjunge Quex uses the same methods to manipulate the audience’s perception of women as it does to manipulate the audience’s perception of the two parties. Throughout the film the Communists are shown to be wild individuals without manners or self-restraint. Meanwhile, the National Socialists are displayed as very disciplined and well-behaved. These impressions are reinforced by the portrayals of women in the respective parties: the communist women are barbaric and vulgar, much like the rest of their party, while the women of the Nazi Party retain their dignity by maintaining their self-respect and not participating in activities (such as smoking and wearing pants) that “should” only be done by males.

Mann, Frau, Junge, Mädchen

In Hitlerjunge Quex, gender is used simply as another image to reinforce support of the Nazi party and animosity towards the Communists. It is particularly effective because gender roles are present and salient in everyday society, whether they may consciously occur to people or not. Thus gender is easily recognizable and is something that does not require extra explanation for people to relate to it.

As was typical of Nazi propaganda, much of the messages conveyed by the film, especially regarding gender, are directed towards the image of the younger generation. Shown in noticeable comparison are the young female characters of Gerda and Ulla. Gerda is shown in a licentious and immoral light, her negative and morally unappealing characteristics representing, in a sense, the despised, inferior Communist party from which she comes. She and her people are slovenly and unrefined in comparison to the neatly dressed, morally noble Ulla of the Nazi party. The positive and negative messages here are obvious.

In comparison, the older generation is not so much ignored as replaced in the greater image. They likewise have their own gender roles, but Hitlerjunge Quex portrays these roles in an old manner that is meant to be soon to be outdated. While the stay at home, obedient mother and the strong, commanding father have merit in their tradition, the values of their roles are now being turned along with the tide of old tradition coming under the reform of the new. The most significant sign of this in the film is when Heini's father disappears and his mother dies, rendering the presence of the older generation invisible by the latter half of the film. In order to ease in this idea of phasing out, the movie brings out the collapsing, nearly despairing behaviors of Heini's parents up until their disappearance, as if to emphasize that what is old and outdated has come to its time. To cycle it out is now the next natural step towards strengthening the future.

The Positives and Negatives of Gender

The positive and negative aspects of Gender are shown in Hitlerjunge Quex, with the positive aspects appearing in the Nazi Youth and the negative aspects appearing in the Communists. Starting with the positive concepts of femininity embodied by Ulla, it is apparent that he primary role is to adhere to the wishes of her brother. When speaking to Heini on the phone it is apparent on her face that she believes his warning. At the command of her brother, Frtiz, to ignore him, however, she hangs up the phone. A positive concept of femininity is submitting to the opposite sex. Another positive concept of femininity is dressing conservatively. Ulla proudly wears the outfit of the Nazi Youth and does not flaunt her appearance.

The negative aspects of femininity are embodied in Gerda, a young, female Communist. Gerda exudes sexuality as she wears dresses, shows off her legs and body, and uses her femininity to attract men. Unlike Ulla who follows the wishes of her brother, Gerda does not follow the orders of all men, shown when she refuses to provide sexual favors to the young Nazi Youth who abided by her wishes.

The positive aspects of masculinity are shown in the overall organization of the Nazi Youth. The men march with pride, eat well balanced meals, and do not drink or get into fights. The men are also restrained as the boys show their urge to fight the Communists but hold back as instructed to by their leader.

The negative aspects of masculinity are shown by the Communists. All of the men drink and do so without restraint, leading to drunken chaos. The men cannot restrain themselves from touching Gerda, a clear difference from the separate actions of the men and women on the Nazi side. Heini’s father also shows his temper when he grabs his wife and refuses to let go. He is not the breadwinner of the family, Heini is.

An interesting question is why the director added a storyline where Heini’s roommate in the youth hostel betrays him. This does not portray the Nazis or masculinity in a postive light.

Men and Women in Hitlerjunge Quex

How is gender represented in Hitlerjunge Quex? Which concepts of femininity and masculinity are offered by the Communists? By the National Socialists?

In this film, the concepts of femininity and masculinity are presented in very interesting and distinct ways. This is done, I believe, to show the viewer how much different these concepts are between the Communists and National Socialists. When one watches the film, then, they notice that for the Communists, to be masculine is to be very domineering and controlling. The men seem to have all of the answers to life's problems and will stop at nothing to get their way. This is presented most obviously in Father Volker and Stoppel. Both of these men are presented as incredibly controlling individuals who are more than willing to force anyone, even children and women, to do what they want. As for women, the one Communist woman who is most obviously present is Gerda, although one could possibly argue that Heine's mother can go here as well. Gerda is shown as a very manipulative female, using her feminine qualities seductively to further the cause. She is a woman who is very independent and spontaneous, without, it would seem, any true set of moral standards besides always trying to get her (or Stoppels) way. Heine's mother, on the other hand, is seen as very weak and submissive. She is not empowered to be her own person and is simply stuck in an aweful situation, one that leads to her eventual death.

The way masculinity and femininity is presented within National Socialism, on the other hand, is in a way that not only highlights differences but also equality. Within National Socialism, as opposed to the Communists, we are presents with boys (rather than men) who are extremely disciplined and hold very strong convictions. They know how to take orders and what their role is, yet they are also shown as being extremely proud of this and able to enjoy life regardless. A scene that helps one truly understand masculinity in National Socialism is when Heine demands that he go back to his district to distripute leaflets. Although his commander is angry and will not let him go, by being firm and standing by his convictions, Heine is able to explain to his commander why he must go, persuading him and gaining a big smile and word of encourgament from his commander. To be a male is to be persuasive, strong, disciplined, and willing to fight for ones convictions, first and foremost, in a rational and positive way. Females in National Socialism, on the other hand, are not portrayed in this film as being any less than men. Although they certainly have different attributes, the primary females character, Ulla, is seen as being an equal with her brother and Heine. She is disciplined and very strong willed as well, attempting to persuade her brother that Heine is not the enemy and can be trusted. To be a woman (and again, we find this through a girl) is to be different only in gender. Although we all know that the policies of the Third Reich were much different towards women, here, through Ulla, women could gain the sense that they play just as much of a role as men (it is Ulla who helps Heine reprint the leaflets) and will always be their equals.

Women in Hitlerjugend Quex

The gender roles within both the Communist and the Nazi Party were strong and provided commentary from the Nazi point of view on both parties. Women within the Communist Party, specifically Gerda, were what some would call a “loose” woman. She used her feminine charms and her body to lure unsuspecting German youths from the Nazi Party and turned them into traitors. She also intermingled freely with the boys. She did not follow the role of the “traditional” German woman. Nazi women, on the other hand, maintained a separate sphere from the men. Ulla, who did spend time with the boys, did not engage in much flirtatious or alluring behavior, and most certainly did not attempt to use her femininity to do harm. In contrast, Heini’s mother, who is not described as Communist or Nazi, serves to depict the everyday German woman of the era; she is troubled by the economic times and is trying to provide for her family. She is the cornerstone of the household and perhaps even symbolizes a Germany torn between Communism and National Socialism.

September 15-17

For Films: How is gender represented in Hitlerjunge Quex? Which concepts of femininity and masculinity are offered by the Communists? By the National Socialists?